Cats are exquisite and magical beings. They (not unlike ourselves) can engage in behaviors that may be confusing, unwanted, unacceptable and even dangerous to themselves and others. The following are among the most common but there are a host of others.

• Inappropriate Use of Litter Box
• Household Destruction
• Biting and Scratching
• Fear and Shyness
• Nocturnal Activity and Vocalizing
• Inter-Cat Aggression ~ Multi-Cat Household
• Blended (cats, dogs, birds, etc.) Animal Families
• Concerns Around New Baby & Children
• Behavior Changes After Hospitalization, Illness or Injury
• Grief and Mourning After The Death of Human or Animal Companion

The leading cause of death for cats is not cancer, kidney failure, heart disease or illness of any kind. It is misunderstood and unwanted behavior. Every year millions of healthy cats are surrendered to pounds and shelters where they are executed. Responsible, no-kill shelters do not accept animals with known behavior problems, as they are considered unadoptable. If the problem is not disclosed but revealed after they are accepted and an adoption is made, the cat will be returned to the shelter (at best) or mishandled through punishment or worse. Some shelters that claim to have a no-kill policy do not reveal that they may have an “exchange program” with one or more shelters that do kill. They exchange what they consider to be an unadoptable cat from a no-kill shelter with an adoptable cat from a kill shelter. The no-kill shelter does not do the killing themselves but the unadoptable cat has his or her fate sealed once they enter the kill shelter.

Some behavior problems are not behavior problems at all. They are indications of physical illness. It is essential that all cats who seem to have a behavior problem (especially those with sudden behavior changes) have the benefit of a complete veterinary evaluation. It should consist of careful physical exam, complete blood chemistry that includes thyroid evaluation, urinalysis with culture & sensitivity from urine that has been removed directly from the bladder through sterile means (this is a common, non-painful procedure), fecal analysis and any other diagnostic tool that will aid in ruling out underlying pathology.

Sometimes behavior that has it roots in physical illness, trauma or stress of any kind will continue even when the original cause has been resolved.

Well meaning but misguided “advise” from a variety of sources rarely works, postpones effective treatment and can complicate and escalate a problem. Early intervention is best but it is never too late to seek professional intervention.

Everything you cat “says” and does is a communication and the way we react or do not react is our response to them. You may be reinforcing or even encouraging behavior without being aware of it.

You can’t give away or “get rid of” a problem. If you do, the outcome is less than desirable and especially dangerous if there are children in the family. It teaches them (through modeling) that the best way to handle a problem is to eliminate or destroy the source. The subtext is they, too, are disposable and may be given away when behaving badly. Children bite themselves and each other, have elimination “accidents” and don’t get along with each other. Children who learn to love and respect animals are learning kindness, compassion and empathy. These are valuable lessons they will take with them into the rest of their lives.

Every Problem Has A Solution!

Your commitment of time, love, energy, patience and adherence to a care plan that has been personally designed for you and your cat(s) is the foundation upon which to build. A care plan is not a “cook-book” for any animal. While basic principles of academic and a deep experiential understanding of feline behavior are always involved, a care plan is personally crafted for each individual cat and his or her family and the lifestyle of all members of the household both humans as well as other animals.

This begins with a willingness to at least entertain the idea that some of the myths and strongly held beliefs about cats and why they behave as they do are simply not so. Examples of such myths are: “He knows he’s doing something wrong. He acts guilty and this proves he knows it. She’s doing it for spite, he’s stubborn, spoiled, not too smart, etc.” A particularly destructive piece of misguided advise is to attempt to solve one cat’s behavior problem by getting another cat! This often results in two stressed, anxious cats with behavior problems.

A care plan may include but not be limited to multiple behavior modification protocols, adjustments in litter boxes, nutrition, feeding styles, as well as a combination of prescription drugs, homeopathic remedies or herbal supports.

Your veterinarian is a welcome and necessary member of the team. We will look to her/him for involvement of all kinds beginning with the medical records that include chart notes and lab results and extend to evaluation for and approval of any prescription and the monitoring thereafter.

No one thing will solve the problem on its own. No drug or behavior modification is so powerful that it will be the “magic bullet”. The approach or treatment is not unlike what we now understand about the treatment of anxiety or depression in people. Talk therapy and behavior modification works. Supportive drug therapy works. Neither works as well alone as when combined.

The time frame in which you can expect to see improvements varies. It may be weeks to months depending upon the circumstance and duration of the existing problems. You can, however, expect to see improvements as you proceed toward your goal of extinguishing the unwanted behavior(s). There are also many situations in which you may see immediate changes but it is impossible to predict exactly which will fall into this category. Cats will always be full of wonderful surprises!

Scolding, “correcting” or punishing them in any way at all will not help and will actually make matters worse. While understandable that such responses to frustrating situations are “only human”, your efforts to discontinue them immediately and permanently will be worthwhile and rewarding.

There is often disagreement among household members as to how to solve these problems. Opposing philosophy, levels of tolerance, understanding and problem solving skills and attitudes all play a role and can be successfully managed without causing further difficulty.

All behavior problems are preventable and, once in place, correctable. Only the most rare neurological conditions produce unwanted behavior that is intractable. They represent numbers of less than one third of one percent.

This article is Copyright © Barbara Meyers, and printed with permission of the author.
Holistic Animal Consulting Centre
29 Lyman Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA
Tel: 718 7205548